Posted by
Bail Out the People Not the Bankson Thursday, September 24, 2009

TENT CITY IN PITTSBURGH IN SOLIDARITY WITH UNEMPLOYED GROWING DAILY

More than 100 residents as of Wednesday, September 23

The Tent City in Solidarity with the Unemployed erected in Pittsburgh this past Sunday has now grown to over 100 occupants, eating and sleeping in tents through the week of the G20 summit. On Tuesday evening 30 new people with knapsacks, tents and sleeping bags arrived at the Tent City, which is located in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, an African American community that borders on downtown Pittsburgh. 20 of the new arrivals were part of a caravan in solidarity with the homeless that originated in Philadelphia. Tent City organizers are now rearranging the tent city so it can accommodate more people. In addition to the scores of small tents that people are sleeping in, the Tent City has now set up 2 large tents for people who did not bring their own. The organizers expect between 60 and 100 new people to come to stay in the Tent City today.

All of the occupants of the Tent City are being fed three nutritious meals every day from food donated by local small businesses and food pantries. Hill community residents are constantly driving by to drop off a wide variety of necessities and supplies including food, water, cookies, toothpaste, napkins, and much more.

Yesterday, protesters from the Tent City went to Downtown Pittsburgh to hold a demonstration in front of the Mellon Center, the international headquarters of the Mellon Bank, to demand a moratorium on foreclosures and evictions. That demonstration was joined by antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan, who is in Pittsburgh to participate in G20-related protests.

Today at 3:30 PM, the Tent City will host a forum on the G20. Participants in the forum will include Leo Gerard, President of the United Steel Workers International Union. The USW is headquartered in Pittsburgh.

After the G20 forum, the Tent City will host a briefing on the current critical situation in Honduras. The briefing will be given by Rev. Lucius Walker, the leader of IFCO/Pastors for Peace, who has been in constant contact with leaders and groups involved in resisting the coup in Honduras.